About the Blog

Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights, a blog hosted by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), is a unique resource for journalists, policymakers, scholars, activists and others interested in understanding Venezuelan politics and human rights.

The contributors call it as they see it, providing insights on Venezuela’s politics that go beyond the polarized pro-Chavismo/anti-Chavismo debate. The views expressed in the posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect WOLA’s institutional positions.

The Bloggers

David Smilde, curator of the blog, is a WOLA Senior Fellow and the Charles A. and Leo M. Favrot Professor of Human Relations at Tulane University. He has lived in or worked on Venezuela since 1992. He is co-editor of Venezuela's Bolivarian Democracy: Participation, Politics and Culture under Chávez (Duke 2011).

Geoff Ramsey is WOLA’s Associate for Venezuela. He is an avid observer of the situation in Venezuela—having helped coordinate WOLA’s response to and coverage of the December 2015 legislative elections from Caracas—as well as a regular contributor to WOLA’s Venezuelan Politics and Human Rights blog.

About WOLA

WOLA is a leading research and advocacy organization advancing human rights in the Americas.

Event Tomorrow: One Year After Chávez: Venezuela, Chavismo, and Democracy

On Thursday, February 27, Venezuela Politics and Human Rights Blog Moderator David Smilde will discuss the current situation in Venezuela in the context of the one-year anniversary of Hugo Chávez’s death.Thursday, February 27, 201410:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Washington Office on Latin America1666 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400Washington, D.C. 20009

To view the event via livestream, click the video below

March 5 will mark the first anniversary of the death of Hugo Chávez, who succumbed to cancer after 14 years as president of Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro, Chávez’s hand-picked successor, won office in a contested election in April 2013. President Maduro received a boost from the strong showing of the government’s candidates in the December 2013 regional elections. But Maduro now faces significant street mobilization against his government. After nearly a year in power, how is Maduro managing the considerable challenges facing the country, including economic woes and violent crime, as well as recent street protests? After their setback in the December elections, what are the strategies and prospects of the political opposition? What does the continuing polarization of the country’s politics mean for ordinary Venezuelans? Please join David Smilde and the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) for a timely and in-depth discussion of Venezuela after Chávez.